Healthified Pineapple Sherbert

One of my guiltier pleasures in life is cheapo, store-bought pineapple sherbet, which I will from now on refer to as sherbert. I adore pineapple sherbert and could eat it by the gallon, but as far as I know it’s a good source of sugar and calories, and that’s about it. So I came up with my own version which captures the sweet, creamy essence of pineapple sherbert in vegan form, without adding sugar and with a little bonus protein boost. Plus, it’s under 100 calories for half a cup, so eating the inevitable cupful isn’t a crisis.

There are lots of great pineapple sorbet recipes out there, but this isn’t one of them. My recipe is for pineapple sherbert, emphasis on the “er,” available in the ice cream section of pretty much every grocery store ever. It was one of my favorite treats as a kid, which clues me in that this recipe may not be a celebration of the refined adult palate. So if you love the flavor carnival that is pineapple sherbert, this recipe’s for you. By the way, I love calling it sherbert. It’s the only deliberate mispronunciation I get cheap thrills from.

I made this using my beloved ice cream maker,probably the most fun you’re allowed to have in a kitchen without a permit. If you don’t have one, check out this HuffPost piece telling you 6 ways to make ice cream without a machine. I’m kind of a let-down in that I haven’t tried any of them myself, but I have pretty good faith in HuffPost. I hope one of them works for you.

Healthified Pineapple Sherbertmakes 12 1/2 cup servings

14 oz. silken tofu 7 oz. (half a can) light coconut milk 1/2 cup light soymilk the juice of a lemon 1/2 cup Stevia In The Raw® (count this as 1/2 cup sugar if you’d like to replace it with another sweetener) about 1 teaspoon orange zest 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice (don’t drain)

1. Process the tofu in a blender until it’s uniformly creamy, scraping and prodding as necessary.

2. Add the coconut milk, soymilk, and lemon juice and process until well combined.

3. Scrape the tofu mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in the Stevia In The Raw®, orange zest, and canned pineapple. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or as long as overnight.

4. Give the mixture a good stir before you churn the sherbert. If you’re using a machine, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Once churned, leave the sherbert in the freezer for about 45 minutes before scooping.